Rat caught ‘stealing’ Rs 10 lakh jewellery in Karnataka shop on CCTV

A rat was caught ‘stealing’ gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 10 lakh from a shop in Tumakuru, about 60km north of Bengaluru, after CCTV footage captured the rodent in the act.

Staff at Vishwas Jewellery first noticed around 10 rings missing during a routine stock count, initially suspecting theft since the shop’s shutters showed no sign of forced entry.

Shop owner Vishwas said the team reviewed CCTV recordings and were shocked to see a rat carrying off a gold ring, which led staff to trace its movements through the store.

The trail led to the rat’s burrow, where staff dug up nearly 10 rings, three gold chains and several diamond-studded pieces, together weighing more than 50 grams and valued at around Rs 10 lakh.

Video of the recovery has since gone viral, with social media users comparing the incident to a comedy film and joking about the rodent’s expensive taste.

No police complaint was mentioned in reports, as the shop was able to recover the missing jewellery directly once the rat’s hiding spot was located, sparing it the hassle of an insurance claim.

Rats are known to drag small, shiny objects back to their burrows, a behaviour attributed to their instinct to hoard items alongside food, though jewellery theft on this scale is rarely documented on camera.

Tumakuru, located about 60km north of Bengaluru, is a district headquarters town in Karnataka known for its coconut trade and, more recently, its growing role as an industrial corridor near the state capital.

Jewellery store owners across the region have reportedly begun reviewing pest control measures after the incident drew widespread attention on social media.

Videos of the CCTV footage have circulated widely on social media, with users comparing the incident to a scene from a comedy film and joking about the rat’s taste for fine jewellery.

Photo by Nnr2025, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0